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SMC California Athletics

Saint Mary's College Athletics Gaels

2026 Softball Roster

Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
SMC Athletics / Emily Smith
Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
Leroy Yau/UC Davis Athletics
Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
Jesus Sepulveda

15 Sam Buckley

  • Position Infielder
  • Height 5-7
  • Class Junior
  • Hometown Burbank, Calif.
  • High School Burbank
  • Prev School Burbank
  • Major Education

Biography

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
  • WCC Freshman of the Year (2024)
  • First Team All-WCC (2024, 2025)
  • Third Team NFCA All-Region (2025)
  • 5* WCC Player of the Week (Feb. 19, 2024, Mar. 18, 2024, Mar. 3, 2025, Mar. 24, 2025, and May 5, 2025)
  • D1 Softball National Player of the Week (Mar. 25, 2025)
  • NFCA National Player of the Week (Mar. 25, 2025)
  • 0.380 Career Batting Average Entering 2026 Season (Best in Program History)
  • 84 Career Runs Scored Entering 2026 Season (7th Best in Program History)
  • 8 Career Triples Entering 2026 Season (T-4th Best in Program History)
  • 18 Career Home Runs Entering 2026 Season (T-4th Best in Program History)
  • 4th best Batting Average in a Single Season in Program History (0.402, 2025)
  • Single Season RBI Record Holder (41, 2025)
  • Single Season Runs Record Holder (47, 2025)
  • T-6th most Runs Scored in a Single Season in Program History (37, 2024)
  • T-2nd most Triples in a Single Season in Program History (7, 2024)
  • Single Season Home Run Record Holder (14, 2025)
  • 2nd most Walks in a Single Season in Program History (29, 2024)
  • Only Three Home Run Game in Program History (Mar. 21, 2025)
AS A SOPHOMORE (2025): Picked up right where she left off after a stellar freshman campaign…Appeared in 46 games, starting 45 (41 at third base, four at second base)...Set single season program records in runs scored (47), RBI (41) and home runs (14), while being one of just four Gaels to hit over 0.400 for the entire season, finishing at 0.402…Led the WCC with an 0.818 slugging percentage, a 0.523 on-base percentage and a 1.341 OPS…Also set a new career-high for hits (53) and doubles (11) in a single season…Committed just two errors all year in the field, good for a 0.983 fielding percentage…Led the Gaels with 18 multi-hit games and 10 multi-rbi games…Owned a 16 game consecutive on-base streak, the longest of any Gael on the season (Mar. 8 - Apr. 6)...Picked up her first of three WCC Player of the Week awards after going 7-for-12 with a double, two home runs and six RBI at the UCSB Tournament (Feb. 27 - Mar. 1)...Her second also resulted in her being honored as both the D1 Softball and NFCA National Player of the Week, going an unprecedented 11-for-13 at the plate with two doubles, a triple, six home runs and 15 RBI, including the first three home run game in program history against Idaho State (Mar. 21)...Broke the program single season home run record at Oregon State (Apr. 27), the single season RBI record with a walk-off two run home run against San Diego (May 4) and the single season run record at LMU (May 9)...Her walk-off home run against San Diego capped a 4-for-10 series, earning her third WCC Player of the Week honor…Earned her second straight first team All-WCC honor, and her first NFCA All-Region honor, of the third team variety.

AS A FRESHMAN (2024): Put together one of the most outstanding freshman seasons in program history, earning WCC Freshman of the Year honors in the process...Began the season as the Gaels everyday third baseman before moving to shortstop midway through conference play, starting in every contest...Slashed .359/.508/.634 on the season...Led the Gaels and the WCC with seven triples, 15 hit by pitches, and a 0.508 on-base percentage...Led the Gaels with 0.634 slugging percentage 33 RBI and 29 walks...Collected 47 hits, including 21 extra base hits (10 doubles, 7 triples and 4 home runs) and scored 37 times...Set a program record by reaching base in 32 consecutive games...Recorded a six game hit streak from 4/3 to 4/14, going 8-for-16 (0.500) with a double, a triple, a home run, seven runs scored and five RBI in that span...Hit a team-best 0.375 in conference play...Named the WCC Player of the Week on 2/19 and 3/18, becoming the first ever Gael to earn WCC Player of the Week honors twice in the same season...Named a first team All-WCC honoree and was a finalist for the NFCA DI Freshman of Year award.

PRIOR TO SAINT MARY'S: A 2023 graduate of Burbank High School...Four-year varsity letter winner for the Burbank softball team...Totaled 72 hits, 32 extra-base hits, 20 RBI and a .426 batting average over her three years of play (2020 season canceled due to COVID-19)...Led Burbank to three straight postseason berths...Named team MVP in all three seasons of competition...Honored as a first team All-Pacific League as a sophomore and senior, and as a second team honorees as a junior...Chose Saint Mary's because "I like the campus, the academic programs offered, the low student-to-teacher ratio and the softball coaches."...Plans to study kinesiology and to become an athletic trainer.

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 15

    2024Freshman

    Infielder
    5'7"
    15
  • 15

    2025Sophomore

    Infielder
    5'7"
    15
  • 15

    2026Junior

    Infielder
    5'7"
    15